Contractors Will Need Comp Coverage Even If They Have No Workers

Posted on: November 8th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

A new law will require almost all contractors in California to carry workers’ compensation coverage, regardless of if they have employees or not. According to the author of the bill, State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the new law was necessary due to the tendency of many small contractors to claim they have no employees, when […]

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State Moves to Ban Sale of Non-Electric Big Rigs, Semis in 2040

Posted on: November 1st, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Under a new proposal by the California Air Resources Board, all new big rigs and other large trucks sold in the Golden State will have to be zero-emission vehicles, starting in 2040. The proposed rule would bar manufacturers from selling medium- and heavy-duty trucks that run on diesel or gasoline in California, and instead sell […]

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Vacant Buildings Pose Risks, Insurance Challenges

Posted on: October 26th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Office and commercial building vacancies have exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving many buildings completely empty of tenants or partially occupied. According to the website Statista.com, the average vacancy rate for offices nationwide in the first quarter of 2022 was 12.3%, which is an improvement from 17.4% in the first quarter of 2021. Unfortunately, […]

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New Law Bars ‘Discrimination’ Against Cannabis-Using Employees

Posted on: October 19th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against employees and job applicants who use cannabis on their time off. The law amends the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to prohibit discrimination against an individual based on “an employer-required drug screening test” that detects the presence […]

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Commercial Property Insurance Gets Scarce in At-Risk Areas

Posted on: October 11th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Commercial property insurance rates remain stubbornly high in California for businesses with properties that are susceptible to wildfire risks. Coverage is relatively easy to find at reasonable prices in any of California’s larger cities, but in small cities and towns, it’s a different story. Business with facilities in any areas that abut woodlands and other […]

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Most Small Firms Underestimate Cyber Attack Costs, Recovery Time

Posted on: October 6th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

A new survey has found that most small businesses greatly underestimate the recovery costs after a company is hit by a cyber attack, as well as the time it takes to recover. Nationwide Insurance’s “Agency Forward” survey found that 40% of small business owners estimate that a cyber attack would cost their organization less than […]

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Teach Your Driving Staff to Be Defensive Drivers

Posted on: September 26th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

When you have driving employees, you have to ensure they drive safely not only to avoid an accident and injuring themselves, but also injuring other drivers or pedestrians. While your workers’ compensation insurance will cover an employee’s injuries, your commercial auto insurance would have to cover any claims for third party injuries. An accident can […]

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Inflation, Jury Awards Continue Driving Insurance Premiums

Posted on: September 20th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Inflation is not just affecting the cost of food and fuel. It’s also spilled over to the price of almost every industrial item, as well as building materials and services. Anybody running a business, particularly one that carries inventories or has to invest in machinery or electronics, has seen prices increase on top of wage […]

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Trucking Firms Have Difficult Choices in Wake of AB 5 Decision

Posted on: September 13th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to not hear an appeal of the sweeping California independent contractor law known as AB 5 is likely to cause serious personnel headaches for motor carriers in the Golden State. While the law is already in effect, there had been an injunction exempting trucking companies after the California Trucking Association […]

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Significant Changes to Construction Dual-Wage Classifications

Posted on: September 7th, 2022 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

As inflation drives up salaries in all sectors, the workers’ compensation wage thresholds for construction dual class codes in California have increased as of Sept. 1, 2022. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in July approved the recommendation by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau to increase the wage thresholds for high-wage workers. The new rates […]

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